A new night train that left Brussels yesterday evening arrived at Prague’s main railway station. In this way, the Dutch-Belgian carrier European Sleeper is trying to increase the popularity of sleeper trains in Europe. But other carriers are also doing it. This week, the night connection between the Czech capital and the Ukrainian Čop near the Slovak border, provided by Regiojet, will start operating.
“It is a week of unprecedented expansion of direct international train connections to and from the Czech Republic,” says the executive director of the Association of Passenger Railway Carriers (SVOD) Petr Moravec. According to SVOD, the new types of connections can also be used, for example, to travel by train from Prague to London with one transfer in Brussels. But such a trip to Great Britain would take about twenty hours.
The railway connection between Prague and the capital of Belgium will take fifteen of them. That is, if the set does not get delayed, as happened on its premiere trip. Instead of shortly before eleven o’clock in the morning, she arrived 45 minutes later.
Where does the extended connection of the European Sleeper carrier lead?|European Sleeper
However, the prices for this type of transport are not radically lower compared to, for example, air transport. At least for those passengers who would like to take full advantage of its benefits. Sleeper tickets can be purchased from 159 euros (four thousand crowns). The sunbed version is 50 euros (less than 1,300 crowns) cheaper.
Breakfast is also available for an additional fee, as well-known railway columnist Mark Smith documents his journey from London via Brussels to Prague on the X social network. However, a one-way seat ticket can be purchased for as little as 39 euros (985 crowns).
Regiojet strengthens connection with Ukraine
The European Sleeper organization, which was established last year in the form of an economic cooperative, has even more far-reaching plans for its project. Next year, he wants to connect Amsterdam with Barcelona with a night train, as previously reported by the British server Independent.
However, the Czech Regiojet is also participating in the revival of night train travel. From Wednesday, a second direct route to Ukraine will begin. The new connection leads through Slovakia to the Transcarpathian region to the town of Čop, fares start at 495 crowns.
According to the Financial Times, such development of rail transport is generally a trend that is gradually being promoted by more and more European legislators in the idea that it will help the continent reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Assuming passengers start using trains over planes.
Do you prefer traveling by plane? Remind yourself when you are entitled to delay compensation:
When and how are you entitled to compensation for flight delays or cancellations? • Videohub
Certain restrictions should also contribute to changing this behavior. Recently, for example, Spain, following the example of France, introduced a proposal that would partially ban short-haul flights. In addition, the Netherlands and Denmark have plans for higher taxation of air transport, the FT reports.
They add that legislators should take into account the popularity of cheap flying and the fact that there are still not many viable alternatives to air transport in Europe. As the Zdoprava server also wrote, both Regiojet and European Sleeper passengers are waiting for older cars, often decades old.
Tags: Prague train London college revival affects Czech Republic
